No. 22 Stanford Softball takes series against NC State

Cardinal win Saturday's game 6-2 after Friday's 11-4 victory

Apr. 19, 2026 at 12:27pm

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A cubist-style painting depicting a softball game, with the players and field broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in the colors of Stanford and NC State uniforms, conveying the energy and dynamism of the matchup.Stanford's softball team continues its hot streak, using a balanced attack to take the series against NC State.Stanford Today

No. 22 Stanford softball defeated NC State at home on Saturday by a final score of 6-2, winning the series after getting an 11-4 win on Friday. Zoe Prystajko was the winning pitcher for the Cardinal in a relief role, while Morgen Talley took the loss for the Wolfpack. Stanford improves to 29-12 overall and 14-6 in the ACC, while NC State falls to 25-19 overall and 6-10 in the conference.

Why it matters

This series win keeps Stanford in the hunt for a strong finish to the regular season and potential postseason berth. The Cardinal have now won seven straight games and are finding their stride at the right time, with both their pitching and offense clicking.

The details

Stanford never trailed in the game, scoring two runs in the bottom of the 1st inning and then adding one in the 3rd and three more in the 4th to go up 6-0. Taryn Kern hit a leadoff solo home run in the 1st, while Kyra Chan had a two-RBI single in the 4th. NC State avoided the shutout with a two-run home run by Teagan Thrunk in the 7th, but it was too little too late.

  • Stanford scored two runs in the bottom of the 1st inning.
  • Stanford scored one run in the bottom of the 3rd inning.
  • Stanford scored three runs in the bottom of the 4th inning.
  • NC State scored two runs in the top of the 7th inning.

The players

Zoe Prystajko

The winning pitcher for Stanford, pitching the final 4.1 innings in relief.

Morgen Talley

The losing pitcher for NC State.

Taryn Kern

Stanford's leadoff hitter who hit a solo home run in the 1st inning.

Kyra Chan

Stanford player who had a two-RBI single in the 4th inning.

Teagan Thrunk

NC State player who hit a two-run home run in the 7th inning.

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What they’re saying

“Yeah, I just think, I don't know, just way to strike. That's always the approach. Get a good pitch and swing at it…If you every think I'm going to hit a home run, it never happens. Let me tell you that. So definitely not that. I think just like continuing to work on mechanics, getting stronger, and yeah, just putting a good swing on a good pitch. It's never about the result, but about the process and that's what gives you the result.”

— Taryn Kern

“Yeah, I think our focus has always been we want to be hitting our stride at the end of the year. So to continue to do that on defense and offense and pitching is awesome.”

— Taryn Kern

“Yeah, I think our team is really good at, you know, competing throughout the entire game. You know, we come out swinging at first and then, we just continue that consistent offensive pressure and I think that's what's helped us. You know, continue to score runs.”

— Kyra Chan

What’s next

Stanford will look to complete the series sweep against NC State on Sunday, with first pitch set for 12:00 PM PT on ACCNX.

The takeaway

Stanford's softball team is hitting its stride at the right time, with strong pitching, defense, and an offense that is consistently putting pressure on opponents. This series win keeps them in the hunt for a strong finish to the regular season and potential postseason berth.